Love Sucks
by legend-of-stelena
Summary: Stefan takes his new vampire girlfriend, Caroline Forbes, to Mystic Falls so that she can get to know where he grew up and to finish her senior year.When Stefan bumps into Katherine's look-alike and starts feeling things, Caroline isn't too happy. Little does she know that Stefan is hiding secrets and that Mystic Falls has a few more surprises up its sleeve. S/E
1. The First Day

**Hey guys! I know its been a while since my last SE fanfiction, but I just haven't had that much inspiration. But I'm back now! This story will kind of be like a mini rewrite of the first season. In this version, Caroline is a new vampire that was turned by Stefan (who she is also dating.) They go to Mystic Falls and...well, you'll see.**

"Really Stefan?" Caroline asked dubiously as they drove past the _Welcome to Mystic Falls _sign. "You pulled me out of Chicago to take me to some small backwater town in Virginia with only five hundred people in it? Why couldn't we have gone to New York or New Orleans or even LA? Or even better, Vegas!"  
Stefan sighed. When he decided to bring Caroline to Mystic Falls, he knew that she wasn't going to be crazy about the idea. After all, she was used to the big city. But because he loved her, he wanted her to see the place where he grew up as a human. He also felt guilty that her vampire transformation didn't let her finish her senior year.  
_That's not the only reason you wanted to come back,_ his mind said.  
He also decided to come back to see his brother again.  
_That's not it...  
_"This is where I lived as a human, Caroline," Stefan explained. "I want to start a new, normal life here. With you," he added, taking her hand in his. "Plus, I feel bad that you didn't get to finish your senior year. Here, you'll be able to go to dances, graduate, join clubs-"  
"Go to Prom?" she asked.  
"Of course," he replied. "While you do that, I'll be able to spend time with my brother."  
"You're not going to high school with me? You have to! It won't be the same without you. Please go. If not for yourself, then for me."  
He groaned. He loved Caroline, but she was so stubborn sometimes. Going back to high school was _definitely _not on his To-Do List. But if that's what would make her happy...  
"Fine. For you."  
She squealed in her seat and smiled in glee as they pulled up into the Boarding House.  
Stefan and Caroline got out of the red Porsche and walked down the path that led to the front door. He was excited, but nervous. He hadn't seen Damon in fifteen years.  
"You can do it, Stefan," Caroline said encouragingly; putting a supportive hand on his shoulder.  
He rang the bell.  
The door quickly swung open in front of him and there stood his older brother.  
"Damon," Stefan whispered.  
"Stefan. Long time no see," Damon replied.  
Stefan didn't know what he thought Damon would do, but he sure as hell didn't think that he would smile and pull him into a hug.  
"It's good seeing you again, baby brother."  
Stefan smiled. "You too."  
They pulled away when Caroline cleared her throat behind them. Both Salvatores turned around and she gave them a small wave.  
"Damon," Stefan began. "This is my girlfriend, Caroline."  
"Hey," she continued. "Caroline Forbes; teenage runaway, high school senior, and a newbie vampire. Originally from Seattle, but am now exploring the US with my hot new vampire boyfriend. We actually just came here from Chicago."  
"Pleasure meeting you," Damon responded casually as if Caroline hadn't just given him the rushed version of her life story. "So what are we waiting for? Let's head inside, pop open a bottle of bourbon and have a good time."  
"Sounds good to me!" she said before they all headed inside.

* * *

_Screams filled the night.  
He dropped the bunny he was feeding off of and listened closely as the screams died away. He didn't need to see where they were coming from. He quickly ran to the site and worried that he was too late.  
He went in anyways.  
A regular human wouldn't have been able to see properly, but then again, he wasn't human. He went towards them and saw terrified eyes stare back at him before everything crashed all around him._

Stefan woke up to a blaring alarm clock and someone slapping his arm.  
He opened his eyes and found a certain blonde vampire staring right at him. "What?" he said lazily.  
"You need to get ready for our first day of school. Remember, you promised!"  
He shoved his face deeper into the pillow in response.  
Caroline hit him with a pillow. "Stefan Salvatore, listen to your girlfriend and get out of this bed before she gets really angry."  
His eyes opened wide. Caroline wasn't the greatest person to be around when she was angry. He quickly sat up and got out of bed.

He walked down the crowded hallway right after he compelled the school secretary.  
Really? This was what high school was like in the twenty-first century? _This _was what Caroline was so desperate for him to come to? He supposed that it was partially his own doing after insisting that she finish her senior year. Stefan sighed as he continued looking for his new locker. How did anyone even find their lockers? They all looked the same: tall and red. He had locker _146.  
120,121,122..._he had to be close. He kept staring at the tiny locker numbers when a body collided into his.  
"Oh, pardon me-" he began, looking at-  
Wait.  
Katherine?  
He took a better look at her. No, this wasn't Katherine. Katherine had a devious look imprinted on her face at all times but this girl in front of him didn't. She had a look of compassion in her eyes.  
Her brown eyes stared at him as he fumbled around his mind for words. "Is...is this the men's room?"  
"Yeah, I was just...um...it's a long story," she replied, her voice filling his ears. She sounded like Katherine Pierce and she looked like Katherine Pierce. But he could tell that it wasn't her.  
How was it possible that these two looked exactly alike?  
He shook away the thought and took a step to the right to let her walk by. But, she had the same impulse and they both stepped the same way. Then they both stepped the other way.  
Finally, Stefan let her walk by.  
"Thanks," she said, giving him a glimpse of her smile.  
As she walked ahead of him, he turned around, hoping to catch another look.  
Finally, she looked back at him for the sliver of a second before finally turning the corner.

Elena's thoughts raced through her mind. Who _was _he? Why did he seem different? What made him unlike any other guy she knew?  
His eyes were so green...  
She shook the comments and questions away as she made her way to English class.

* * *

Later that day, he sat in history class, listening to the teacher (Mr. Tanner ) go on about Confederation.  
He looked at the girl he had bumped into earlier and happened to catch her eye right when she was looking at him. They briefly smiled at each other before she looked back at the board.  
She was beautiful; just like Katherine had been. He wished that he could keep staring into her chocolate brown eyes for the rest of the class instead of listening to a lesson of a time that Stefan had actually lived through.  
He managed to not look at her too often, but he still snuck in a few peeks while Mr. Tanner was turned around. They exchanged eye contact two more times before the bell rang and he sprang out of his seat, glad to be able to go home.  
He managed to see her smile at the text her friend sent her.

Caroline waited for everyone to file out of the room before she left herself. She followed two girls out of the class.  
Yes, that was the one Stefan was staring at. She was staring at him too.  
Caroline managed to hear their conversation.  
"He was _staring _at you, Elena," the girl-_Elena's_-friend said.  
"Maybe because I was staring at him too, Bonnie. It doesn't mean anything," Elena answered.  
"Whatever you say. All I'm saying is that he's cute. And how many guys do you know with green eyes?"  
Caroline walked away then. Soon, she would have to let this Elena girl know who she could and couldn't have. She needed to understand that Stefan was _off-limits._

**I hope you liked this first chapter even though it wasn't much. Please review to let me know if I should continue with this. Thank you! :)  
**


	2. Night of the Comet

**Hello again! Looks like you guys liked this story enough to want another chapter so here it is! Thanks to everyone that read and/or reviewed! This one's for you :D****  
**

Stefan's eyes snapped open. He sat up and looked out the window at the beautiful sunny day that awaited him. He rubbed his eyes and got out of bed to write in his journal.  
He always found comfort in writing in a journal. He liked being able to reveal his thoughts and deepest feelings to a small leather book that only he could see. And today's entry was no different.  
"Wake up, sleepyhead!" he heard Caroline shout before she opened the door and popped her head in. "You're already awake? What motivated you?"  
He set down the pen after writing a final wordthen stood up and kissed Caroline's cheek. "You did," he replied.  
She smiled. "You really know how to brighten up a morning don't you?"  
He smiled back at her.  
"Seriously, what has you in such a good mood?"  
"I already told you. It's you, Caroline."  
_Only partially, _his mind corrected. _The real reason is-_  
"You better go get ready before we're late," Stefan insisted.  
"Sounds like something I would be saying to you." She shrugged. "Oh well. Be ready in ten!" She touched his shoulder gently before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.  
He was ready in five minutes and managed to swallow down some food. They were on the road only seven minutes later.  
The whole time he drove, the words he had written this morning echoed in his mind.  
_I will see her again._

_I will see him again, _Elena thought before she walked into history class.  
The class went on as usual: Mr. Tanner giving a lecture that not many people really cared about, Bonnie was doodling in her notebook, and Elena played with her pencil. As Mr. Tanner went on and on about the comet flying over Mystic Falls tomorrow, she snuck a few glances at Stefan.  
He glanced back.  
They smiled at each other and that was how she stopped paying attention to her surroundings.  
"Are we bothering you, Mr. Salvatore? Miss Gilbert?" Mr. Tanner said.  
She immediately looked away from Stefan and felt so embarrassed that her history teacher caught her staring at the guy she was starting to really like.  
She shook her head right before she was saved by the bell.

Caroline glared at Elena as she walked away. How _dare _she stare at Stefan and then get called out on it. As if it weren't bad enough yesterday.  
Caroline crossed her arms. She needed to make it obvious that she wasn't someone to mess with.

* * *

Stefan went to her house that night.  
He knew he shouldn't have even _thought _about visiting her, but then again, he hadn't been paying much attention to his mind lately; no matter how hard it tried to make him do the right thing.  
He walked up steps and stood on the doormat in front of the heavy oak door. He contemplated his choices. He could either a) leave now before it was too late, b) just never speak to Elena ever again, or c) knock on the door.  
He chose C.  
The door swung open in front of him in a matter of seconds. In front of him stood a young woman with strawberry blonde hair; probably not _too _many years older than Elena.  
"Who are you?" the woman asked, taking in an analysis of him.  
"I'm Stefan. I'm here to see Elena," he explained.  
She looked him over once more before heading into the house.  
"Elena!" he heard her call. "A guy's at the door!"  
Then he saw her.  
She slowly came down the stairs and eyed the door. She smiled when she saw him. "Hey," she said.  
"Hey," he replied.  
"Well, I see you've met my aunt Jenna. What are you doing here?"  
Wait a minute. Why_ was_ he here?  
_Oh, come on,_ his mind said. _You know why you're here._  
"I was wondering if you had the history notes," he replied.  
_Liar...  
_"Oh, yeah, I do. Would you like to come in?" she asked.  
He took a sharp intake of breath. "Yes."  
She smiled and walked back in the house.  
Slowly and carefully, he put one foot over the threshold and followed her into the living room.

* * *

Throughout history class the next morning, all Elena could think about was Stefan.  
He had come to her house yesterday night for history notes and as he copied them down, things became...emotional.

_"So," Stefan began as he copied down the notes. "Did something happen to your parents?"  
She became defensive. "Why would you think that?"  
"Because you only live with your aunt and your brother. What happened?"  
"It's a long story."  
He shrugged. "I don't have anywhere to be. Tell me. If you're comfortable with doing it of course."  
She thought for a moment. _Was _she comfortable telling him? Sure, she was a little interested in him, but she met him yesterday.  
Taking a deep breath, she told him.  
She told him about she dodged family game night just to go to a stupid bonfire where she fought with Matt, her boyfriend at the time. After the fight, she had called her parents to come and pick her up. They had come and as they were going home, they crossed over Wickery Bridge. Her father had swerved to avoid hitting something that she never saw and they ended up underwater. She had been the only one that survived (miraculously, she added) and how she felt guilty ever since.  
Throughout the whole story, Stefan listened intently. He never once stopped her or interrupted her. He was quiet. So quiet that she became so enveloped in the story that her emotions began escaping and she started crying until she finished.  
When she finished, tears were rolling down her cheeks and she was having trouble breathing. It was only then that she remembered that Stefan was there and became embarrassed.  
She didn't know what she expected him to do, but she didn't expect him to say her name in a way that melted her bones.  
"Elena..." he had whispered, looking at her with his leaf green eyes. He was no longer copying the notes. His eyes were full of sadness as he held out his arms.  
Her body took charge before her mind could and she found herself in his arms. It had felt so _good _there; enveloped in his arms. He worked as her pocket of warmth.  
"God, I'm a wreck," she whispered against his shoulder.  
"Shh," he commanded. "It's okay to let out your feelings. It's okay to cry."  
That made her cry even more.  
He kept whispering things in her ear; things that promised that everything would be okay. He even stroked her hair with a light touch until she calmed down.  
When she was done letting it all out, she was so happy when he changed the subject. For the rest of the time, he made her laugh and smile in a way that hardly anyone could do these days. They just talked.  
And they never stopped talking; not even when the black night sky turned into blue as dawn broke._

Elena still couldn't believe that they had talked for the whole night.

Caroline caught up with Stefan just as the school day ended.  
"Where the hell were you last night?" she asked angrily. "And why have you been avoiding me all day?"  
She saw him hesitate. What was he hiding from her?!  
"I was out hunting," he said.  
"For the whole night?"  
"Yeah. And today, I've been catching up on notes."  
"Notes?" she probed. "It's only the third day of school. how are you already behind?"  
"I have a lot on my mind."  
"Really? Okay then, what class did you need notes for?"  
"History."  
History. Of _course _he needed to catch up on history notes. "Why? Too busy staring at Elena Gilbert?"  
He stopped in his tracks. "How do you know her?"  
"You guys have been gazing at each other in class for the last two days! I had to find out who she was, so I eavesdropped on some conversations and looked at a file."  
He sighed and faced her. "Don't worry about her, Care. She's not you."

_But you wish she was, _his mind whispered.  
_Shut up.  
Make me.  
_"Right. She's not perky or blonde or beautiful," she stated.  
_No, she's beautiful too.  
_"Right...anyways, you have nothing to worry about, Caroline."  
She closed her eyes in defeat. "Okay. Sorry about accusing you."  
"It's okay. Come on, let's go home." He put an arm around her shoulders.  
"Can we go see the comet later?  
"Sure"

* * *

"Stefan?" Elena called when she was inside. "Stefan?" She clutched his phone tighter and tapped a finger against it. Maybe she could leave it in his room. Wait, she didn't know where that was.  
Great.  
"Katherine?" someone asked behind her.  
She turned around and came face to face with a guy, a few years older than Stefan perhaps, with black hair and ice blue eyes.  
She looked at him with a confused look. "Sorry, no. I'm Elena."  
"I'm sorry, you just look like Stefan's ex. She really broke his heart. Anyways, I'm Damon."  
So this was the infamous Damon. "Stefan's brother, right? He told me about you."  
"Hopefully nothing too bad."  
"Not at all."  
"Good to know," he responded with a smirk. "Not to be rude, but why are you here exactly? Are you here to see Caroline?"  
"No," Elena replied. She didn't even know who Caroline was. "I'm just here to bring back his phone. He left at my house."  
"Well, I'd be happy to give it back to him...Elena."  
"Okay, thanks." She smiled and gave him the phone. "I better go. Nice meeting you, Damon."  
"You too."

"Elena was here," Damon said.  
Stefan walked into his room and found his older brother lounging on his bed. "She was?"  
"Yup. Here to return this." He held up Stefan's phone. "You know, she looked extremely familiar. She looked like...what was her name again? Katie? Kathy?" He snapped. "Katherine!"  
"Yeah, I know."  
"Are you two..."  
"No."  
"Right, because of Blondie." He got up from the bed. "Good luck with that!"

* * *

"I met Damon today," Elena said.  
"Yeah, he told me," Stefan replied. "He's...complicated."  
"He mentioned someone," she said, turning around to look at him. "Katherine? Your ex?"  
"What did he say?" he asked.  
"That she broke your heart."  
"Look, Elena, that was a long time ago."  
"No, it's okay. I get it. I know what it's like. Complicated brother? Check. Complicated ex? Check. Too complicated to even contemplate dating? Double check. It's okay. I mean, we met, and we talked, and it was epic. But then the sun came up and reality set in."  
She licked her lips. She hadn't wanted to say it, but she had. Stefan had a too complicated past for her and an ex that had already broken his heart.  
"Bye, Stefan," she whispered before she walked away.

He was tapped on the shoulder a few minutes later. He turned around and found Caroline.  
"I've already made a bunch of friends and...Stefan, you okay? You look upset."  
"I'm okay, Care. Tell me more about your new friends."  
"Well, okay. So, there's this one girl named-"  
He pretended to listen, nodding his head every now and then. The fact that Elena had walked away from him hurt him more than it should have.

* * *

When he and Caroline got home, she immediately got a phone call and left to go for dinner with one of her newfound friends. So, Stefan was left in the big Boarding House alone with the exception of Damon who was most likely drinking bourbon in his room.  
Which was why he was surprised when someone rang the door bell. He went to open the door and was even more surprised when he saw who it was.  
"Hey," Elena said.  
He just stared at her for a while, making sure that she was actually there. "Would like to come in?"  
"The comet's actually that way," she explained, pointing outside. She headed out to the small stone wall that bordered the entrance and he followed her.  
"Sorry for barging in like this. Especially after earlier."  
"It's okay. Where we left things...I didn't like it."  
"Me neither. When I went home tonight, I was planning on doing what I usually do: writing in my diary. Which I have been since I was a little girl. Everything I'm feeling just goes down into this little book that hides on the second shelf of my closet behind this hideous ceramic mermaid. But tonight, I realized that I was just writing things that I should've been telling you."  
"What would you write?"  
"I would write, 'Dear Diary. Today, I convinced myself that it's okay to give up. Don't take risks, stick to the status quo, no drama cause now is just _not _the time. But my reasons aren't reasons, they're excuses. All I'm doing is hiding fromt he truth and the truth is...' I'm scared, Stefan. I'm scared that if I even let myself be happy for one moment, the world's going to come crashing down on me and I don't know if I can survive that."  
"Do you know what I would write?"  
When she nodded, he regretted what he said. What was he saying? He just met this girl...he couldn't be caring for her.  
Could he?  
"I met a girl," he began, forgetting all about his vampirism and about Caroline, who would not be happy if she knew about this moment. "And we talked. It was epic. Then the sun came up, and reality set in," he whispered, repeating her words from earlier. "Well this is reality. Right here."  
She looked up at him with her eyes that were always full of sorrow. Yet for a single second, he could see something glowing behind them.  
Slowly and hesitantly, he leaned in closer to her and they connected. Sparks flew. Elena was practically igniting fires in him that he hadn't known existed.  
He pulled away from her and stared at her in amazement. How was it that this girl could make him feel things that Caroline and not even Katherine ever made him feel? How was it that this innocent human girl with a tragic past could warm up his old vampire heart like no other supernatural creature could?  
They looked at each other in awe before interlocking lips once more.

Damon watched the couple from his window. He thought it was great that Stefan had moved on from Katherine to Caroline, but going from Caroline to Elena was something entirely different. He didn't know if he could keep the secret from Caroline. He hoped he could, because if he couldn't, then he worried that Elena would be put in danger  
A lot of danger.


	3. Listen To Your Warnings

**Hi again! Looks like some of you are really into this story, so here's chapter 3!**

_Water surrounded the car at all sides and it didn't take long for the interior to fill up with water as well.  
She took quick pants and attempted to take her seatbelt off, but it was no use. It wouldn't budge. She was going to die here; here in the ice cold water of Wickery Lake. Her fate was sealed. _All _their fates were sealed.  
Her father turned around and took her hand in his as the water rose all around them. She mouthed a final, "I love you," before taking a deep breath. Soon, it wasn't possible to breath at all. She was engulfed by water.  
She felt her hand drift away from her father's. She closed her eyes and felt herself go limp as something else fell into the water outside of the car._

Elena woke up and thrashed around before she realized that she was in bed and not submerged in her dad's car. She ran her mind through yesterday's events to clear her head. She had had coffee and eggs for breakfast, went to school, got in trouble in history, the comet flew by...  
She kissed Stefan.  
She smiled at the thought. She _kissed _Stefan Salvatore, the new mysterious guy she never thought would give her a second thought.  
That morning, she went to school refreshed, glowing with the fact that she would see Stefan today.

_Darkness surrounded him. There were a few rocks and plants, but that was it, with the exceptions of the large metal object. He went towards it and saw movement. Good, at least one of them was still alive. He went closer..._

Stefan's eyes opened. He wondered how much longer he would have to relive that night. Well, that was the least of his concerns right now.  
He _kissed _Elena. He kissed the most compassionate girl he had ever met (which was ironic considering that she looked exactly like Katherine). Did he care for her in _that _way?  
_Yes, _his mind whispered. _You do.  
_No. He couldn't. He was a vampire, she was a human. She would want children, he wouldn't be able to give her that. Plus, he already _had _a girlfriend-  
Wait a minute. He had a girlfriend. He had Caroline. Oh boy, she would _not _be happy if she knew.  
Which she wouldn't. He wouldn't tell her and she never talked to Elena and no one else saw the kiss. It would be impossible for her to find out.

* * *

"Hey, Damon," Caroline said when she came into the kitchen. She grabbed a cup of coffee off of the table.  
"Hey...Caroline," Damon replied carefully.  
She glared at him. "What are you hiding?"  
"Nothing!"  
"Damon, I'm a runaway. I've had people lie to me about not finding my parents, not calling the cops, letting me stay for longer than a week and everything else you can fit under those umbrellas. I can tell when someone's lying to me and right now, that's what you're doing. So spill."  
She could see the hesitation in his eyes. "It...it's about Stefan."  
That made her even more interested. "What _about _Stefan?"  
He sighed deeply. "Last night, right after you left, a girl came over."  
"And how did this girl look like?"  
"Long, straight brown hair. Olive skin. Not too tall-"  
Elena Gilbert. What the hell was she doing here? "I know her. Go on."  
"They talked outside for a while and then they...uh...they kissed."  
She smashed the cup she was holding and let the pieces fall onto the floor. How _dare _she! Who did Elena freaking Gilbert think she was?  
"Excuse me," Caroline said.  
"Wait," Damon said before she left the kitchen. "Don't tell Stefan that I told you. Please."  
"Don't worry. Stefan's not the biggest priority on my To-Do list yet. First, I need to have a few words with a certain brunette."

Elena shut her locker and jumped when she saw Stefan standing right behind the small metal door.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized.  
She felt a grin go on her face. "Don't worry about it," she responded; happier than she had ever been in a long time. She leaned in closer and brushed her lips against his. She added more pressure and put a hand on his cheek. Slowly, he added more pressure of his own and put a hand over hers.

He hadn't felt this way since Katherine, and that hadn't even been real feelings. Yet, there was something in the back of Stefan's mind that was pestering him. It was something important, something he had to tell Elena. In his mind he saw a blonde girl with a happy smile, only to have her immediately be replaced by a brunette with olive skin and brown eyes that just glowed...  
Caroline. He had to tell Elena about Caroline.  
Just as he was about to pull away and tell the girl in front of him the truth, the bell rang and Elena pulled away.  
"Sucks that we can't continue this. We'll talk later?"  
He felt himself nod before he could stop himself.

Caroline tapped her pencil against the wooden desk; bored out of her mind in this Geography class. She was bored that she thought about earlier, remembering what had happened in the hallway. She had glared as the two of them PDA'd in the hallway. In front of everyone. God, this wasn't some cliché TV show where you could just make out with someone in public without anyone thinking it was weird.  
She looked out of the small window on the wooden door that would (in twenty minutes) provide an escape from this class and into the crowded hallways.  
She saw Elena walk by and shot up her hand.  
"Yes, Miss Forbes?" the Mr. Hartman, the geography teacher, asked.  
"Can I go to the bathroom."  
He sighed. "Very well."  
Caroline got up out of her seat and left the room before following Elena down the hall to the bathroom.  
"Elena Gilbert, right?" she asked innocently.  
The other girl turned around. "Yes?"  
"Hey! I'm Caroline Forbes, I'm new here. I think you've met my boyfriend already, actually, now that I think about it."  
"Really?" Elena replied. "What's his name?"  
"Stefan Salvatore," she sneered in response.  
_That _took Elena by surprise.  
"He's your _boyfriend?_"  
"Yup. Has been for a few months now. I thought he would've told you by now. After all, I've seen you guys getting pretty friendly with each other, particularly in history class. Ask him if you don't believe me."  
"Maybe I will."  
"Go ahead. We all know what the answer will be." _Yes, _Caroline mouthed. "Well, it was so nice to meet you. Toodles."  
She turned around without waiting for an answer and walked back to class.

* * *

After school, Elena met up with Stefan at his Porsche. She decided to go straight to the point and wasted no time with formalities.  
"Do you know a girl named Caroline Forbes?"  
He stiffened at the name. "Yes..."  
"Is she your girlfriend?"  
He hesitated and sighed deeply. "No."  
Elena sighed in return. "Thank God. I was a bit worried about that. But why did she lie about it?"  
"She's just a friend that kind of feels something for me, but that's it. She probably told you because she's worried that you'll get in the way of us being together."  
"Do you feel something for her?"  
He kissed her. Just like that. It was deep and it was passionate and it was unlike anything she ever felt. This felt good. This felt _right._  
"Did that answer your question?"

A knock came on the door that night.  
Elena went to the door and opened it, expecting it to be Stefan.  
Only to find Caroline.  
"How did you know where I lived?" Elena inquired.  
"This is a small town, Elena, so don't worry about the details. Did you ask Stefan?"  
Elena crossed her arms. "Yes, yes I did. He told me the truth."  
"Did he? And what was that?"  
"That you're just a friend that feels something for him and was worried about me getting in the way."  
Caroline scoffed. "_Me? _Threatened by _you? _Honey, I'm not worried about you getting in my way. Seriously, look at you and look at me. Huge difference. Plus, the blonde always wins. He _lied _to you. I'm his girlfriend and I'm his _only _girlfriend. Just wait, you'll be out of his life soon enough."  
"Is that a threat?"  
"Actually, no, it isn't. It's a warning. Watch your back, Elena," Caroline said before she went down the steps and disappeared into the night.


	4. Danger Arising

**Enjoy!**

Stefan went over to his bookshelf. He picked up an extra copy of _The Grapes of Wrath,_ which he had hollowed out to hide things from intruders and by intruders, he meant Damon. Opening the book, he went past a pocket watch, an undeveloped film roll, a grainy black-and-white photo of Katherine...  
Katherine.  
He still remembered the day she arrived at his father's estate; still remembered the clicking of the horse's feet on the gravel, the sound of the reins against the carriage's exterior, Katherine's skirts swirling around her as she stepped out into the day's sun; her beauty more radiating than its glow...  
_No. _He didn't love her; not anymore. Katherine's doppelganger, Elena, was already starting to replace her lingering specter in his heart.  
_Then why do you still have her picture? _his mind probed.  
Stefan set the picture down on a pile of books. He would decide its fate later on. He went back to _The Grapes of Wrath _and pulled out the wooden box he was originally searching for.  
He had never shown the necklace to anyone. Not Caroline and definitely not Katherine since he acquired it after her death. Okay, maybe he had shown Lexi, but that was it. He had wanted to save it for someone special.  
Stefan then went downstairs to the basement and into the vervain cell. He put on an old glove that was lying around and plucked a tuft of vervain from the small garden box. He put it in the locket and snapped it shut.  
The vervain was for Elena. It would protect her. Protect her from Damon and from Caroline.  
From him too.  
He hoped that she would never need to use it.

* * *

_"Is that a threat?"  
"Actually, no, it isn't. It's a warning. Watch your back, Elena."  
_What had Caroline meant by that? What was she planning? _Was _she planning something?  
Elena's mind ran through this a dozen times over.  
Then she saw him.  
There he was, sitting at one of the empty lunch tables bathed in sunlight; his green eyes glowing as he smiled at her from his spot.  
"Hey," she said.  
"Hey."  
A pause.  
He stood up and went to her. "I hope you don't think this is too weird, but I wanted you to have this."  
She looked down at his hands and saw him holding a wooden box. He unsnapped the lid and revealed a silver locket with a red gem at its apex.  
"It's beautiful!" she complimented.  
"I've had for a long time, but I've never wanted to give it to anyone until now."  
She blushed. "Can you put it on me?"  
"Of course."  
She turned around and lifted up her hair as he set the locket around her neck and shut the clasp.  
"Do you like it?"  
She turned around. "I love it," Elena whispered before connecting her lips to his.  
He pulled her closer.  
She gave a surprised moan against his mouth before she opened up hers; inviting him in, getting caught in the moment. His hands pressed her back harder and her hands dug through his hair.  
The bell rang behind them but they didn't bother stopping.

Elena was a fan of PDA. Great.  
Caroline rolled her eyes as she watched the couple cling to each other way after the final warning bell. She had hoped that her words would've beaten some sense into Elena.  
Boy, was she wrong.  
She was practically brain washing him, making him believe that he loved her and not Caroline. Making him think brunettes were better blondes.  
It wasn't Stefan's fault. None of it was. He was only guilty of meeting her and falling under her spell. Now, it was up to Caroline to cure him of it. She had hoped that she wouldn't have to resort to her advantage, but Elena had left her with no other choice. If Elena wanted a dirty fight, than boy was she going to get one.

* * *

Elena got out of her car and slammed the door behind her when she got home.  
"Jenna! Jeremy!" Elena called before she felt her phone vibrate.  
_Sent from: Jenna  
Went to campus for a bit. Jeremy's out with friends and shouldn't be home for a while. I ordered a pizza before I left and it should be there soon. Money's on the coffee table. No boys!  
_The doorbell rang.  
Elena grabbed the money and ran to the door, expecting the pizza guy.  
And finding Caroline.  
"I thought I told you to stay away from him," she said.  
"I'm not staying away from him because you asked me to, Caroline."  
"For a second, I thought you were actually smart, Elena. But I was wrong. You're an idiot. An idiot who can't seem to realize what she can and can't have."  
"And you're a bitch that doesn't deal very well with jealousy."

That made Caroline crack. If the fact she hadn't been invited inside wasn't standing in the way, she would've pulled Elena by the hair and dragged her around the house until her scalp bled.  
Sadly, she wasn't invited in.  
She couldn't do her work while Elena was in the house; she had to be lured out.  
"At least I can admit it," Caroline responded. "Why don't you come out here and insult me for real? Because you seem a bit like a coward standing in your house."  
"Fine."  
She slowly put one foot over the threshold.  
_Yes, Elena. Just one more step...  
_"There, I'm out. Happy?"  
"Extremely," Caroline sneered. She felt veins appear by her eyes and felt her fangs grow.  
Elena's shocked eyes were the last thing she saw before she went to her neck.  
The other girl's screams rang in the autumn air and it wasn't long before her form went limp. She would live. For now.

* * *

Elena opened her eyes slowly.  
She found herself in a dimly lit room with machines going off at her side and tubes going down her arm.  
"What am I doing here?"  
"Don't worry about it, Elena," Caroline said.  
"You! What...what the hell did you do to me?"  
"Nothing you won't recover from."  
"What are you?" Elena demanded.  
Caroline crept closer. "Don't worry about it," she said, looking into Elena's eyes. "You'll forget this happened and just think you were attacked by an animal."  
"No I won't!" she replied. "How could I forget about this? You put me in the hospital!"

Wait a second.  
Why didn't the compulsion work? Maybe she did it wrong.  
Caroline refocused her gaze. "No. You _will _forget."  
"No, I won't!"  
She was immune to compulsion. Interesting. Well, Caroline supposed it was time for one final trick.  
"Fine then. Remember what I am. Remember what I can do. Remember that I'm why you're here. But also remember that Stefan is the same. He can do this to you. He can do this to others. Hell, maybe he has. He is _perfectly capable _of doing this to you; except he can do much worse."  
"What? He can?"  
"Yes, Elena. I know that because he's the one that made me this. What I am."  
"Which is what?" Elena asked.  
Caroline's face turned serious. "A vampire."

**This chapter was a little shorter, but I hope you liked it anyways! And sorry for taking too long to update.**


	5. Vampires Suck

**Enjoy!**

"You really are crazier than I thought," Elena replied. "Because vampires don't exist."  
"According to your knowledge," Caroline shot back.  
"No, according to _all _knowledge. This isn't Twilight or any other cheesy vampire movie."  
"Okay, first of all, I _love _those movies. Second, do you want me to prove it to you?"  
Elena rolled her eyes.  
Caroline turned around and took a huge whiff of the air. She smelled dozens of medications, whatever someone left in the bathroom across the hall (ew) and blood. Blood all around her. She turned around to look at Elena, letting the veins cover her face. She hissed to show off her fangs.  
Elena gasped in bed.  
"Please...please don't hurt me more than you already have," she begged.  
Caroline relaxed and gave a laugh. "I've been waiting a while to hear you beg for mercy. And you'll get it; for now. Just don't piss me off, okay?"  
Elena nodded worriedly.  
"Right this way, Miss Sommers," a nurse said from the hall.  
"That's my cue. Bye bye, Elena," Caroline said with a smirk before leaving the room. "Oh, and avoid the food. I hear it sucks."

* * *

"Where is she?" Caroline heard someone frantically ask at the front desk. "Elena Gilbert."  
Stefan. Of course.  
"What relationship do you have with the patient, sir?" the nurse asked.  
"I'm her boyfriend."  
_Boyfriend. _Caroline winced at the word. Sure, Elena was out of the way for now, but Stefan had still succumbed to her, which was something Caroline couldn't forget.  
"I'm sorry about your girlfriend, but it's immediate family only."  
"Can you at least tell me how she's doing?"  
She heard the nurse hesitate but she eventually told Stefan what happened. Out of pity most likely.  
"Some tampered arteries. She lost a lot of blood, but it could've been worse. Hell, she's lucky that animal didn't rip her throat out."  
"What animal?"  
"The one that attacked her. The wounds match the ones we've dealt with before and the girl that brought your girlfriend in said she saw it happen. Some wolf or mountain lion most likely. Usually is."  
"And what girl brought her in?" Stefan asked suspiciously.  
Caroline heard the shuffling of papers and she braced herself for what was coming next.  
"Her name was Caroline Forbes. You're lucky she saw what happened, or your girlfriend might've bled to death."  
Caroline walked out into the main room at that. "She probably would've. Good thing I forgot to get the notes for history class, or else she wouldn't be so lucky. Isn't fate a funny thing?" she asked in her perkiest voice.  
"Very," Stefan replied bitterly.  
They both looked up and found the nurse staring at them expectantly.  
Stefan cleared his throat. "Thank you, Caroline. I don't know what would have happened if you didn't intervene."  
The nurse smiled at that and left the desk for another room.  
"Maybe she wouldn't even be here without you. Maybe she would've been fine."  
"I don't know. It was a big wolf," Caroline responded sarcastically.  
He scoffed. "You did this, didn't you? Why?"  
"Because she stole you from me. In case you forgot, _I'm _your girlfriend, Stefan Salvatore, not her. You changed _me, _not her. She's just some small town wench with drabby clothes and boring hair. What even interested you in the first place?"  
"I saved her Caroline."  
She raised an eyebrow. "What the hell do you mean that you saved her?"

He explained everything to her. Hearing the car, pulling her out, dragging her up to the surface and desperately trying to bring her parents before it was too late.  
She stared at him. "You didn't come here to feel nostalgic. You didn't come here for Damon. You came for her, didn't you?"  
He hesitated.  
Her eyes widened. "You came for her? Her?! Well, you saw her, she's fine, let's go."  
"I can't."  
"What do you mean you can't?"  
"I mean I can't. I can't leave her, not now."  
She shook her head. "I don't get it. Talk to me when you find common sense."  
She began walking away then, her boots making a clicking noise against the white tile.

"Visit her after the hours are over and compel a nurse to get in. The bite isn't the only surprise I left you, Stefan," Caroline said ominously before she kept on walking; trying to ignore the stinging of tears in her eyes.

* * *

_The bite isn't the only surprise I left you, Stefan.  
_The words echoed in Stefan's mind as he obeyed Caroline's instructions. He barely even knew why he was listening to her. Probably because he was desperate to see Elena, desperate to apologize. She would say that it wasn't his fault, but he would know better. It was his fault. He involved Elena in his life and that involved Caroline. It _was _his fault.  
He stepped into the room. "Elena?"  
She shifted a bit and rubbed her eyes as she faced him. When she saw it was him, she backed up as far as she could against the bed's handles. It was if she were worried he might do something, as if she were scared.  
Scared of him.  
No, this was the one thing he never wanted to happen. This was the one thing he wanted to avoid. Caroline figured it out and used it against him.  
"Stay away from me," she insisted.  
"Elena, what happened?"  
"Stay away from me!" she demanded. "You're a monster! You both are!"  
Where was this coming from? "Elena.."  
"No!" She made an urgent move with her arm and one of the blood bags she was hooked up to fell off of its stand and onto the floor, its contents spilling out.  
Stefan tried to avert his gaze, but there was so much blood...so much...  
"So it's true," he heard her whisper.  
He looked at her dubiously before realizing what happened. Veins had appeared, his eyes had gone red, his fangs were bared. She knew.  
"You're a vampire!"  
_The bite isn't the only surprise I left you, Stefan.  
_What had Caroline done? What had she said?  
But he knew exactly what was said. Caroline told Elena the truth about what they were. She told Elena about the monster that hid inside them.  
"What are you talking about?" he asked, hopefully putting some doubt in Elena's mind.  
"Caroline told me. She said she was a vampire, that you turned her, that you can do what she did to me. Maybe even do worse."  
"Elena, I would _never _ hurt you."  
"I don't care! Get away from me! Now!"  
"Let me explain."  
"No! Go!"  
"What's going on here?" a man asked. Turning around, Stefan found a security guard.  
"Get him out of here!" Elena yelled.  
"Sir, you'll have to come with me. Plus, it's _way _past visiting hours," the guard explained.  
"No, let me talk to her. Let me say something to her!"  
"Sorry. Maybe tomorrow."  
"No," Elena interrupted, sounding weak from her outbursts. "I don't want to see him tomorrow. Keep him away from me."  
"Elena-"  
She shook her head. "Goodbye, Stefan."  
It was the last thing he heard her say before he was forced out of the room.  
They wouldn't let him in the next day.

* * *

_A Few Days Later_

"Enjoy my surprise, Stefan?" Caroline asked from the living room.  
Stefan glared at her before pushing her against the wall and choked her. "Where the hell have you been the last few days?"  
"Out. About. I was a runaway, remember? I'm good at this stuff." She grabbed his wrist and pushed him off her.  
"How could you say that to her? How could you tell her what we were?"  
"Because I knew she would never forgive you; never accept you for the monster she believes you are. As long as I'm in Mystic Falls, there _is _no happiness with Elena."  
"Then I'll run from you," he threatened.  
"No you won't."  
"What makes you so sure?"  
"Well for one, if you ran, I'd find you. Two, you wouldn't leave Elena in her time of need, no matter how much I wish you would. Three, if you left, what's to stop me from hurting her again? Or killing her? You can't force me to go with you; not this time. Plus, things are actually working in my favour now."  
"How did you get that conclusion?"  
"Elena's finally out of my way."  
"What did you do this time?"  
"Nothing!" she said with a laugh. "Didn't you hear what they're doing to her? Oh right, you're banned from seeing her. Well, long story short, the day after the last time you saw her, she wouldn't stop saying that vampires were in Mystic Falls. She wouldn't shut up about her getting attacked by a vampire." Caroline laughed.  
"What happened?"  
"It's wonderful! Well, for me at least. They're sending her out of town. She leaves tomorrow."  
"For where?"  
"Don't you get is, Stefan? They're sending to a mental rehabilitation center or something. They think she's crazy, isn't it great?" she asked in the most enthusiastic voice she had used in weeks.

**I know, it's a little crazy (no pun intended) but it makes this story way more interesting then having it follow the show. And I know Caroline is MUCH darker and sinister here, but why not do it? Just to spice things up a bit (a lot) ;)**


	6. The Truth About Vampires

**I know, I know, its been a while. A long while. But I've been quite busy with school lately, so I apologize. Flashbacks are in italics.  
Enjoy!**

Stefan slowly stepped into the building and crept through the hallways of Oak Woods Mental Health Facility.  
Elena didn't belong here. She wasn't crazy. She wasn't someone that went mad and started spouting off that vampires were real and that the whole town had to prepare garlic and holy water. But no one knew that. No one knew that vampires existed except for him, Caroline and Damon. It wasn't like 1864 where every single person within the founding families knew about the creatures that went 'bump in the night.'  
Wait a second.  
Back in 1953, when Stefan had returned to visit Joseph Salvatore, the Founders' Council was still banded together to defeat the 'demons' that attacked innocent civilians. 'Demon' being Damon. If the Council still existed in the 50's, why wouldn't it still be around today? Maybe if he talked to them, they could get her admitted out of here and back home. After all, the Gilberts were a founding family.  
"Can I help you?" a man asked him.  
"Uh, I'm looking for Elena Gilbert."  
"Right this way."

* * *

"Elena," Stefan whispered as he stared at her through the window glass. He reached to turn the knob and open the door but was interrupted.  
"You're fine right there," Elena said from inside.  
He let go of the knob and sighed. "How are you doing?"  
"I've been better. Way better. The food here is terrible and they didn't even let me get my diary."  
"I'm sorry," he whispered, not thinking that she could hear him.  
"You should be. It's because of that Caroline girl that I'm in here."  
There was a moment of silence and Stefan thought that she had maybe fallen asleep or just didn't feel like talking any more. He began to slowly turn around when his vampire hearing picked up the quiet words that came out of Elena's mouth.  
"I'm not crazy, you know. I _know _Caroline fed off of me if that's the term that's used in this situation. I needed a blood transfusion in the hospital too, so that gives me just enough glue to put the pieces together. So is it true? Are you two actually vampires or did Caroline just make it up to make me go insane and end up in the crazy house?"  
He hesitated. Should he tell this girl that he had just met the truth? The whole truth and nothing but the truth, as they said in a court of law.  
Of course he should. She deserved to know. Her reaction couldn't be _that _bad.  
_Like yours was when you found out Katherine was a vampire? _the voice in his head asked. _Or have you already forgotten?_

_Katherine's snarling face stared straight into his own. His mind was running crazy with thoughts and his heart was pounding with fear.  
How could Katherine's beautiful face become...this? This monster, this demon, this creature of the night? How could her same soft lips that she kissed him with drink the blood of innocent humans? How could her perfectly straight teeth that lit up the room whenever she smiled be used to tear out people's throats?  
"You...get away from me!" he cried out.  
She pressed a finger to his lips. "Shh. You needn't be afraid, Stefan."  
"How can I not be afraid? Your face...you're a demon!"  
"Well that is not a kind word to use towards a lady, Mr. Salvatore."  
Whenever she called him that, it made his heart beat just a few times faster. This time was no different. But when he realized that she was trying to distract him, he attempted to stop the show of emotions.  
She smirked and looked deep into his eyes. "Calm down, Stefan. Like I said, you needn't worry. All will be well..."  
He closed his eyes at that and lied back down. Eyes still shut, he felt Katherine on top of him, trickling her soft kisses up his chest before finally ending up at his neck.  
Then she bit.  
And while she drank, Stefan lay still. He didn't make a sound except for his breathing and his pounding heart.  
_Calm down, _his mind said just as softly as Katherine had. _You needn't worry. All will be well...

He didn't realize until much later that she had compelled him that night to stay calm in the waking news that she was a vampire. But before that, he had been frightened out of his mind, much like Elena right now. He could offer to do the same to her, to compel her to be calm and okay with the news. But he wouldn't. She had a right to know.  
And so, his choice was made.  
"Yes, Elena. Caroline Forbes is a vampire and so am I."  
He watched her look up at him, her eyes wide. "So what, you have super speed, strength and a garlic weakness?"  
"Speed, yes. Strength, yes. Garlic, no."  
She pondered over it for a moment before speaking again. "Does that mean that could easily break down this door?"  
"It would be as easy as snapping a toothpick in half."  
"Then why didn't you?"  
"Because you deserve a choice in the matter. You deserve your own free will to do whatever you want. You didn't want me in there, so I didn't go in there."

It kind of amazed Elena to be honest. He could've just broken down the door and waltzed right in, but he didn't.  
Because she asked him not to come in.  
But now, she kind of wanted him to. She wanted to know everything about vampires, and she didn't think that was a good story to tell outside the door with nurses and doctors passing by at any given moment.  
What she said next was so quiet, so soft, that not even someone sitting next to her would've been able to hear it.  
"You can come in here now."  
She saw his brows furrow. "Are you sure?"  
"Nowadays, I'm not really sure about anything. But I want to know everything."

_Everything. _She wanted to know _everything. _  
"You don't have to tell me about your past. I would understand if you didn't. But I at least want to know the basics."  
Ah, so not _everything. _Not yet, anyways. He could do that.  
And so, Stefan Salvatore reached down to the door knob once again and began to twist it open.  
And this time, Elena didn't stop him.

* * *

Her heart was pounding as he slowly stepped inside. It beat so much that she was worried that he would hear it.  
He took a seat in the (uncomfortable, as she now knew) plastic chair that was across from her.  
He cleared his throat.  
Then he told her everything.  
For the most part, it was what she expected vampirism to be like. Needing blood to survive, weakness to daylight, sensitivity to fire, stake to heart, that sort of thing. Garlic, holy water, running water and mirrors were all just little tidbits that were made up over the ages and no, vampires definitely _do not _sparkle in direct sunlight. Without a ring or some form of jewellery made of lapis lazuli stone, they were burned to a crisp.  
She also learned how to become a vampire. A vampire doesn't need to bite you, but give you their blood instead. If you die with their blood in your system_, _you'll reawaken and will have to drink human blood to complete the transition.  
The only surprising thing was that vampires had the power of mind control. All they had to do was look in your eyes and tell you exactly what to do.  
"Did you ever do that to me?" Elena asked worriedly.  
She was relieved when he shook his head. "But Caroline has."  
It reminded Elena a bit of when Caroline had become frustrated at the hospital while trying to tell Elena to forget about what had happened.  
"But it didn't work."  
"It didn't work because of that," he replied, pointing at the silver locket he gave her that was still chained around her neck. "It has a special herb in it called vervain. It burns vampires when touched or ingested and if a human has it on their person, it prevents vampires from doing their compulsion."  
She was about to reply when a knock came at the door. They both turned to face the nurse that just walked in.  
"Sorry, but visiting hours are over. You'll have to leave."  
Stefan simply nodded and stood up. "I'll tell you more the next time I see you, if you want."  
"Okay..." She was quiet and hesitant for a second before blurting out, "Can you come again tomorrow?"  
"I'll do you one better," he responded before leaving he way he came.  
Do her one better? What did that mean?

Before Stefan walked back outside into the cold autumn evening, he looked for the head nurse. When he found her, he whispered a few things before heading to his car for the night.

* * *

The head nurse walked into Elena's room earlier the next morning.  
"Pack your things, hon," she said with a small smile. "You're going home."  
She had been waiting for those words since she got here. She shot up and packed the few possessions she had here and let herself be led to the parking lot, where Jenna was waiting in the car.  
"I'm sorry about that whole thing," Jenna said as they drove home. "I was urged by your doctors to give consent, but I regretted it as soon as I signed the papers."  
"It's okay, Jenna."  
Her aunt smiled and faced the road ahead.  
Elena's phone buzzed in her lap (she had finally gotten it back and it was full of messages from Bonnie) and turned it back on to find a text.  
From Stefan.  
_Did they let you out?  
Yes! _she replied. _I'm finally going home! ...How did you know?  
_She got a reply instantly. _I may or may not have compelled the head nurse to let you go...  
_She smiled. _Thank you!  
Do you still want to know more? _he asked her.  
She did. She really did. Or did she?  
Suddenly she wasn't so sure of herself.  
Contemplating it more, she decided on her answer.  
_Yes. That is, if you're willing to share...  
_It took him a bit longer this time, but his reply made her want to see him right now. She wanted to see him at this instant to know what he had to tell her.  
_I think I'm finally ready to talk about my past, _he had answered. _Of how I became a vampire. _

**It's a little shorter than what I'm used to, but it's finally done! Brace yourselves for next chapter, because I might change the 1864 story just a little...  
**


	7. 1864

**Sorry for the long break, but without inspiration, how can I write a proper chapter? Flashbacks are in italics again, by the way.  
Enjoy!**

_The day's sun shone brightly as he stepped out of the house to greet the young girl who would be staying at his father's estate for some time. His father hadn't really said much information about her, just that she had lost her family in the Great Atlanta Fires and needed a place to stay until she could stabilize herself.  
Stefan wondered what she would be like. Would she be beautiful? Most likely, as all women were in their own way. Would she be kind? Hopefully.  
The carriage rolled up to the steps where Stefan stood and pulled to a stop. A footman set a stool in front of the vehicle's door and opened it.  
And out walked the most beautiful girl he had ever lied his eyes on.  
Her skirts swirled around her tall, slim figure and complimented her olive skin perfectly. Her hair, which was the same colour as her eyes, floated down in the form of ringlets from the hat that adorned her head. She smiled up at him, making her face glow with the day's light.  
"You must be Mr. Salvatore," she said, relieving him from his haze.  
"Yes. And you must be Miss Pierce," he replied.  
She did a formal curtsy and held out her hand for him to kiss. "Please," she began. "Call me-"_

"Katherine. Her name was Katherine."  
"The one that turned you?" Elena asked from across one of the Mystic Grill's table. Just one day after returning home, she had called him to meet up at the Grill so he could talk to her.  
"Yes. On the surface, she looked kind, sweet, even caring, but inside she was a cold hearted, manipulative monster with no regard for human decency."  
"That bad?"  
He nodded. "Ever since I met her, she kept me under her spell. Made me think she cared, that she loved me."  
Elena licked her lips. "Did you love her?"  
"I thought I did. She tricked me into thinking she was good. When she told me what she was, I freaked out. To bring me back to a peace like state, she compelled me to think I loved her, that 'all was well.'" He scoffed. "If she hadn't, I would've run off."  
"So how did she end up turning you?"  
"Well, it was the last night of my human life. She came to my room that night..."

_"Oh, Stefan," Katherine whispered against his lips. "I love you. You know that right?"  
Stefan nodded. "I do. And I love you Katherine."  
She smirked and shifted so that her body lay next to his. She put a warm hand to his bare chest.  
"This can be forever, you know. The two of us just as we are. All you have to do is ask," she explained.  
Stefan shut his eyes. "Katherine...as wonderful as that sounds, I can't. I can't kill innocent people to sustain myself for an eternity. It feels wrong."  
"Not even for me?"  
"I'm sorry, no."  
Katherine immediately got up out of bed and stood angrily in front of it, glaring at him. "And why not? Do you believe that I'm a monster for being what I am?"  
"I never said anything of the sort," Stefan replied worriedly.  
"You're indicating it. What you're saying is that you wouldn't do this. Not even for me. I thought you loved me more than that."  
"I do, but-"  
She held out a hand. "But nothing! I would do it for you. Sure, we have to do monstrous things once in a while, but what we gain is completely worth it. We gain eternity. An eternity to love each other and be together."  
He shook his head again.  
Katherine's eyes turned red and veins began to appear around them. She moved suddenly and straddled him. She looked into his eyes.  
"You want me to turn you."  
"I want you to turn me," he complied.  
"Good." She bit her inner wrist. "Now open up."  
He opened his mouth and let her warm blood trickle in.  
"Now what?" he questioned.  
She smirked again. "Now we wait for the perfect opportunity to kill you."_

"She didn't let you have a choice. She chose for you," Elena said understandingly.  
He nodded. "Since then, if I could, I always let people have a choice. Including you."  
She looked up at him then. "Thank you." She paused for a moment. "How did Damon turn?"  
Stefan hesitated. "That's a bit more complicated, but I'll eventually get to it."  
"Then what happens next?"  
"My death," he said calmly.

_Stefan caught the football Damon threw him. Well, it was more like it hit his chest hard and fell into his outstretched hands.  
"Rough throw, brother," Stefan told him when he appeared. Stefan rubbed his chest in pain.  
"I apologize. But that is how the game is played, Stefan: roughly.  
"Similar to the game you're playing with Katherine," an unknown voice said from the direction of the trees.  
"Who's there?" Damon yelled.  
"Me."  
Both brothers turned around and faced a woman that looked like she was the same age as their mother when she passed. Only this woman in front of them looked like she was of Asian descent.  
"I'm Pearl," she said, answering their unasked question.  
"Why are you here?" Damon asked.  
"Well, you see, it's a dangerous game that you're both playing with Katherine. She isn't a good person."  
"Yes she is!" Damon shouted back, gaining a new aura of confidence that Stefan didn't even know he had. "She is good and kind and-"  
Pearl rose a hand to stop him and began laughing. "She is nothing of the sort! In fact, she's been playing the both of you as fools! Look at yourselves and see what her games have done to your minds! You two are love-struck idiots who are actually not in love at all." She turned to face Stefan. "You know she's been compelling you, right? Ever since you learned what she was, you've been her little toy, her plaything. You don't love her, she's _making _you love her. But you," she turned to Damon, "you actually see something good in her. What it is, I have no idea, but you were never afraid. She never compelled you. You let her drink from you, you let her be with you. What did she promise? A lifetime? To both of you?"  
Stefan looked at his brother. Katherine had promised them both?  
Pearl laughed again. "I see, she never told you. Well, I assure you, she's only interested in one of you two. And I know which one as well. But even then, I would give a year, maybe two, before she grows tired of you two, even the one she loves more."  
"Stop!" Katherine yelled, suddenly appearing. "Let them go! I have done you no harm!"  
"Well that's a laugh. But very well, I will leave them."  
Pearl began walking away before quickly, quicker than Stefan's eyes could follow, going to Damon and snapping his neck.  
"No!" Stefan yelled before running to his brother's side. He checked for a pulse but found none. "You killed him!"  
"Katherine would've done it anyways. Besides, look at her. Does it even look like she cares?"  
Stefan snuck a glance at Katherine, and sure enough, barely any emotion fazed her.  
"Alright, Pearl, you had your fun, now leave!" Katherine demanded.  
"Not yet, Katherine! I haven't even touched the one you truly love."  
What? Katherine loved him more?  
Before Katherine could move, Pearl through something that hit Katherine in the stomach. It looked like a stake.  
His love sank to the ground, but before Stefan could move a single limb, Pearl held him in her grasp and began feeding.  
"Pearl, no!" Katherine cried. With blurred vision, Stefan watched her painfully remove the stake and rush toward them.  
Stefan felt himself fall, but everything was already hazy. In a blur, he watched the two women-the two vampires-grapple together on the ground. He felt a liquid spill down his throat but had no idea as to what it was. Blood?  
When he looked at the fight again, Pearl had Katherine pinned down and a hand in Katherine's chest. She cried out in pain.  
Then, Stefan felt his eyes close and began to drift into darkness._

"I'm sorry," Elena whispered. "I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve anything like that to happen to you. You're good and honest and caring. You deserved to live a long _human _life. Maybe even get married and start a family." She reached out and put a hand over his. "Even if it meant that I would've never met you," she said so softly that even with his vampire hearing, he had to strain to hear it.  
"That's not it. I eventually woke up by the quarry with all the memories of Katherine's compulsion. Emily, Katherine's best friend and confidante, told me what I was and what I needed to do if I wanted to stay a vampire. She even gave me this," he put up his left hand, showing his ring, "in case I decided to go through with it. I didn't want to."  
"Then why did you?"  
"Damon. He sat by the quarry and when I went to talk to him, he didn't give me the best of news."

_"Welcome to the club, brother. Well, nearly," Damon said in way of greeting when Stefan sat down next to him.  
"Where's Katherine?"  
Damon hesitated. "She's...dead."  
"I'm sorry," Stefan whispered. "I know how much you loved her."  
"Yes, I did. But she left me one thing: my brother for eternity. With our horrible father and both mother and Katherine dead, you are all I have left."_

"I turned for him. I'll be honest, over the last century and a half, I've thought about ending it all quite a bit. Letting myself burn to a crisp, going out into the sunlight without my ring, staking myself. But then I remember my brother, and how if I did it, I'd leave him with no one."  
"Did those thoughts ever go away?"  
"Yes. When I met you."  
He looked up into her eyes for the first time since telling the story, not knowing what he would see. Disgust, perhaps. Maybe she would never want to see him again.  
In her eyes, those eyes that were exactly like Katherine's yet so different, showed none of those things. He say empathy, forgiveness, sadness, and, dare he say it, love.  
Her love was healing him.

* * *

"Thank you. For telling me everything. I know that it might have reopened some old wounds for you, and I'm sorry about that but...thank you," Elena said when they reached her porch.  
He gave a quick nod before turning around.  
"Wait!"  
He turned around again, but she had already taken him into her arms, holding him tightly to her.  
This whole day, he had tried to withhold his emotions, to not let her see him feel pain from something so long ago, but he was already beginning to feel the façade crack.  
"Shh," she consoled, seeming to sense his distress. "It's okay. You can let it out."  
Stefan felt his emotions override his mind and he simply let it out.

Elena felt Stefan let go of the anchor that suppressed his feelings. She let him bring her even closer and put a hand in her hair.  
Memories of her parents began appearing in the midst of it all and decided that this was a good a time as ever to let out her emotions too.  
So they stood there for God knew how long. They said absolutely nothing and neither of them parted. She pressed her face into his shoulder and he pressed his into her hair.  
Together, they stood in silence, with only the breaths of the wind making any noise around them.

**Hope you liked it! I really wanted to repair the Salvatore brother relationship, so instead of Damon promising an eternity of misery, why not make him want an eternity of happiness?**


	8. To Kill A Caroline

**Again, sorry for the long wait for this chapter.**

The following day after Stefan told his story was...different. This time, Elena felt as if she now knew him better, as if she had a much deeper understanding of him than she had before. She now understood why he was the way he was, and the extent of the damage Katherine had made all those years ago. But nevertheless, there was one thing she didn't quite understand yet.  
Caroline.  
What was the deal behind that? How did she and Stefan meet? How did he wind up turning her? Did he even believe them to be true love? Why would Caroline even _want _that? If Elena had to choose, she definitely wouldn't choose vampirism or whatever it was called. A life of darkness and lurking in the shadows, a life of needing blood to survive or barely seeing the sun or where she needed to be invited in to enter a house? No thank you. Perhaps Caroline only saw the pros: super speed, strength, fast healing, eternal youth and compulsion. But hadn't she seen the cons? Having to to watch your family die, never truly being human, never having children...  
Maybe Caroline hadn't wanted any of that. After all, people could have their own secrets. Maybe Caroline had familial issues or just didn't care about them. However, Elena knew that Stefan did. He had wanted a family, complete with a loving wife and children. He had told her that he wanted that and she was 100% sure that he still did. He wanted to feel human. For heaven's sake, he came back to _high school_. How much more human could that get?  
But something still bothered her: why Mystic Falls? Out of all the places in the world or the United States, let alone Virginia, why Mystic Falls? She understood that he had grown up here and visited often, but it held so many painful memories for him, like Katherine, his mother's death and ultimately, his own. Even after yesterday, she felt as if he were still hiding something.  
And Elena was going to find out what.

* * *

Stefan walked into the Salvatore living room, only to stop mid-stride when he heard a voice.  
"I know you were with her," he heard Caroline say behind him. "With Alana."  
"Her name is Elena," he corrected.  
"I don't really care what her name is, Stefan. What I want to know is why you were with her all day yesterday. Because, before you say it, it _is _my problem. In case you've forgotten I'm still your girlfriend."  
"Then it's over," he replied.  
"_What_?"  
"We're over, Caroline. You get way too jealous and in case _you've _forgotten, you nearly killed Elena just to prove a point. So you and I are finished. You can leave Mystic Falls and go to Vegas or New York or wherever you want to go, because I don't care anymore."  
He turned to walk away, but stopped cold when she asked, "You're in love with her, aren't you?"  
He turned around again and took a deep breath. "What do you want me to say, Caroline?"  
"The truth."  
"The truth? The truth is that yes, I'm in love with her. She understands me and accepts me. When I'm with her, I can be me. I completely forget what I am. She makes me want to be better. She helps me-"  
"Helps you _what_?"  
"She's helping me heal. She's repairing the wounds that Katherine left in me all those years ago."  
"Who the hell is Katherine?" Caroline angrily asked.  
"She turned Damon and I."  
"And I'm only hearing about her now? Does Elena know?"  
He stayed quiet.  
Caroline nodded. "Of course she does. She knows you better than I do, and she's only known for, like, a month. Well you can have her, Stefan. But remember, she won't be around forever. One day, she's going to grow old and die and she'll be gone forever. All the while, I'll still be around, still looking hot and seventeen. When she's a sickly old lady I'll be there, never having aged a day. All thanks to you, FYI. Hate me for eternity, I don't care, but never forget that I _will _be there for that long, unlike your precious human Elena. I'll be there because of what you did to me. Never forget that."  
That was Caroline's grand playing card: what he did to her. It was the perfect card that always seemed to win the whole hand. She always used it to guilt trip Stefan into kneeling down and obeying her every command. It always worked too.  
Not this time.  
"That won't work this time Caroline, because for the last time, I did _not_-"  
She held up a finger to stop him. "Don't even say the word. I'm out of your perfect hair now, Stefan. You won't hear so much as a peep out of me. I'm getting out of this shithole and having some _fun_."  
With that, she tossed back her blond curls and stalked off, her shoes making clicking noises against the hardwood floor as she left.

Stefan was _in love _with a human? Preposterous! How was it possible that he could love a girl other than herself?  
She sighed. Stefan needed some fixing considering that brain in his pretty little head wasn't working properly. Elena certainly got in the way of the whole plan she was begin to hatch. However, the departure _would _led her have fun under a guise. Maybe this could work out.  
And no one would have any clue as to what was coming.  
She smiled devilishly. _Perfect._

* * *

Elena headed up the stone path towards the front door of the Salvatore house. As she brought up her fist to knock on the heavy oak door, she hesitated. Should she ask him why he chose Mystic Falls? It might push his limit, especially after how much he had revealed to her just the day before.  
No. She would give him his space. If he wanted to tell her, he would tell her. Until then, she would obey his wishes and leave him be. She brought her hand back to her side, turned, and walked away.  
Before she was halfway down the path, the door opened. Elena turned around and found Caroline glaring at her from the door.  
"Stefan isn't here," Caroline said icily.  
"Oh, no worries, I was just leaving," Elena shakily replied. It wasn't as if she were afraid of Caroline, it was just that-who was she kidding, yes, she was afraid of Caroline.  
"Nonsense! I'm feeling hospitable. Come in, have some coffee and some obscure pastry. I don't bite! Well, at least not today. I'm stuffed."  
"Oh, no, I couldn't," Elena said, trying to use a cheery voice and kind rejection that Mystic Fall Wives were masters at. "In fact, I should really get going."  
"Haven't you been taught manners, Elena? It's rude to reject an invitation. Please, come in. I would hate to use...force."  
That was how Elena found herself sitting across from Caroline at a stainless steel breakfast bar in an otherwise old fashioned looking kitchen. She sipped the coffee in front of her tentatively (which she would never have drunk if she hadn't watched Caroline make) in silence.  
"So," Caroline began. "I heard that Stefan told you his whole life story yesterday. You must have been bored out of your mind."  
"Actually, no, I wasn't. The story is actually pretty intriguing and honestly, kind of...sad."  
"I see. Well, he must really trust you if he told you everything. How he turned, how his life was before that, how he turned me-"  
"He never told me how he turned you."  
She regretted it the moment she said it. This whole time, she had been walking on eggshells, and that question was the sign that she had stepped on an egg and had the yolk spreading everywhere.  
"Really? Because he refuses to shut up about you. Seriously, it's annoying."  
Elena looked down.  
"Well, I suppose I should tell you the story then," Caroline said perkily, almost as if her batteries had been replaced and she had reanimated back to life. "It began at night and I was on my way home when-"  
"That's enough, Caroline."  
Elena turned around and found Stefan standing behind her.  
"I just started it though! I still haven't told her what you did to me. You know, how you deliberately turned me into this _monster_."  
"You don't need to go on," he responded.  
Caroline gasped in mock pain. "Then I suppose that's my cue to leave?"  
He nodded.  
"Fine. Consider me gone."  
She got up out of her seat and flashed out of the room faster than Elena's eyes could follow.  
"What was she talking about, Stefan? What did she mean by what she said?" Elena asked.  
Stefan sighed. "That was just Caroline being Caroline. Don't worry about her." He held out a hand for Elena to stand up that she took, only to immediately pull away when she remembered another thing.  
"Did you intentionally turn her into a vampire?"  
"Elena, I would never do that."  
"But why don't I believe you?" she questioned in return.

* * *

She stormed out of the kitchen after that, too angry to stay and probe him for answers. Waiting for her at the door though, was Caroline.  
"What are you-" Elena began.  
She held a finger up to her lips. She pointed a finger to her ear and towards the kitchen where Stefan still was. Grabbing Elena's hand, she led her outside towards Elena's car. Elena hastily unlocked the doors and as soon as they were in, Caroline slammed the door shut.  
"I'm going to tell you what happened."  
Elena raised an eyebrow. "I thought you hated me."  
She sighed. "I did, but I've done some thinking since this morning. This is something I need to tell you so that the same thing doesn't happen again. No one deserves to have this happen to them. Even you."  
"Gee, thanks."  
Caroline ignored the comment. "Like I said earlier, it began at night and I was on my home."

_Caroline Forbes walked down the dark and empty sidewalk; the sound of her heels echoing on the concrete until she reached the part where the sidewalk ended.  
She angrily sighed. Could the city not be bothered to continue a damn sidewalk? If only Stefan were around to give her a ride.  
She stepped onto the road and kept walking. She reached into her purse and pulled out her ear buds and phone and soon enough, she was walking in beat to one of her favourite songs from the eighties.  
Which was why she didn't hear the car speeding towards her. It hadn't honked its horn or make any noise to signify that it was coming behind her.  
The next she realized was that she was on the cold gravel of the road; completely paralyzed. She could barely feel the blood trickling down her face or see her surroundings.  
Suddenly, someone's wrist was right on her mouth and what she assumed was blood eased its way down her throat.  
"Shh," someone whispered above her.  
Soon her vision began returning and she found a familiar pair of green eyes above her. She sighed in relief.  
"Are you okay, Care?" he asked.  
She nodded, glad that the blood brought her out of her paralyzed state. "I am now," she whispered.  
He smiled down at her and helped her to her feet.  
"I'm going to call an ambulance, okay?"  
"Okay."  
She stood there with a hand in her hair as he walked off into the shadows and she couldn't see him anymore. The car that hit her wasn't around anymore, so she assumed it was a hit and run. While the blood made her much better, she was still hurting all over.  
A new pain bloomed in her chest after someone locked their arm around it, pinning her against them. She felt hot breath on her neck before she was met with the stinging pain of being bitten; the vampire blood along with her own being drastically pulled out of her body until she went limp. She slid to the ground and felt her eyelids droop.  
That same pair of green eyes were the last thing she saw before the darkness pulled her in._

"When I woke up again, I was in some secluded area with a blood bag sitting next to me. My impulse was stronger than the flashing neon sign in my mind that shouted DON'T and I drank it. You can guess what happened next," Caroline finished.  
Elena looked at the blonde vampire with wide eyes. Just earlier today, she had been wondering why anyone would choose the life of vampirism, Caroline in particular. Now she knew.  
Caroline hadn't had a choice. She was given vampire blood as a saving grace only to be murdered not even a few minutes later.  
Murdered by _Stefan_.  
"I 've been denying it," Caroline continued. "You have no idea how much I've been denying it, Elena. He feels guilty over giving me the blood, but I have _never _told him that he killed me. Considering how things have been lately, I just might come clean. Anyways, my point is, be careful with yourself, Elena. I thought I could trust him, and I did. I trusted him with my life. But then he took it from me. Remember that and don't make the mistakes I did," Caroline explained before getting out of the car and heading back into the house.

* * *

Stefan was waiting for her when she was back inside.  
"What did you tell her, Caroline?" he demanded.  
"The truth of what happened," she fired back.  
"I told you, I'm sorry for giving you my blood. I regret it completely-"  
"That's not it, Stefan. I never told you that I knew, but I know what else you did to me. I know you _fed _on me and killed me. I never told you I knew, though. I let you believe it too."  
"I...what?"  
"Don't play innocent!"  
He looked down at the ground. "This hasn't happened to me since the 20's," he said more to himself than to her. "A period of time where I completely black out and lose control." He put his hands on his face. "I'm so sorry, Caroline."  
"It's too late for sorry, Stefan. Thanks to you, I'm _dead_. I'm a monster! I've been denying it this whole time to spare your feelings, but you know what? I'm done! I can't do this anymore, Stefan. I'm leaving first thing tomorrow," she said before spinning on her heel and stalking off.

Just a few minutes of breathing it in and she was out. Ha, she barely put up a fight!  
She lowered the brunette to the ground before picking her up again and taking her to the car.  
Finally, the real fun could begin.


	9. Day Of The Undead

**Hope you like it!**

_Deadly Animal Terrorizes Mystic Falls  
Animal Attacks Plague Small Virginia Town  
Man Found Dead Near Mystic Falls Town Square_

The headlines went on and on. They were appearing in the town's papers, the neighbouring town's papers, even the _state's _papers. Everyone thought there was a mountain lion or wolf stalking the town, but Stefan knew better. He was aware of what, or rather _who_, was the culprit.  
Caroline.  
She was the only one capable of this much damage other than him. This was her way of getting back at him. What he didn't understand was how she was doing it so secretly. She was in full blown stealth mode at this point. How she even _learned _stealth mode was beyond him. He never taught her how to, fearing that if he did, this kind of situation would happen.  
Stefan was worrying. There was no way to stop her at this point. In angering her, he condemned Mystic Falls' entire population to possible death.  
Including Elena. It had been a few days since their argument in the kitchen and he hadn't seen her since. He sat through pointless classes day in and day out in the hopes that during one of them, he would find her sweet brown eyes staring back at him and a bright smile on her face. Needless to say, he hadn't. Apparently, she hadn't been feeling well for the days ever since.  
He missed her smile.

Her attacks were in all the local papers and a single state paper as well. She didn't know whether to be worried or pleased about it. Worried that her attacks would put people on her trail. Pleased that she was deadly enough to be in the news. But under the guise of an animal? Ugh, they could do so much better. Why not 'lunatic that believes they're a cannibal' or some escaped criminal that went crazy behind bars. That would've been much more interesting than animal. Personally though, she preferred "vampire attack" followed by a question mark like newspapers did in movies set in the late 1800's to the early 1900's when Dracula was supposedly the most popular thing around. She imagined it: _Vampires Attacking Mystic Falls? _That would certainly get more attention and intrigue than animal attacks did.  
Oh well. You can't have it all. Besides, she was already getting what she wanted. She was nearly done settling into her new persona and was almost ready to do what she planned on doing. Kinks and small details could be worked out later.  
All she needed was today. Tomorrow, it would officially be time.

* * *

He immediately became alert when Elena entered the classroom. He felt his heart skip a beat when she looked his way and gave a small smile.  
"Miss Gilbert," Mr. Tanner said in a rather annoyed tone. "So glad that you could finally join us after your lead of absence. I do hope we can accommodate class into your schedule next time."  
She glares at him before smiling mischievously. "Mr. Tanner, so glad that you squeeze this class into your busy schedule. I understand that cheating on your wife with one of the twenty-something bartenders at the Grill is a real time consumer, so I appreciate it."  
The whole class gave off "oohs" and "_burns_" while Stefan sat frozen in shock in his seat. That was something...different. Not that Mr. Tanner didn't deserve it, but words like that were not words one would expect to come out of Elena Gilbert's mouth.  
"I expect to see you after class, Miss Gilbert," Mr. Tanner said angrily.  
"I'm not going to help you cheat, because quite frankly, you're not my type," she replied. "And I have a boyfriend."  
Her gaze met Stefan's, along with a dozen others. She gave a small wave before she walked over and sat next to him. Mr. Tanner looked at her dubiously before giving up and continuing with his lecture.  
"Hey," she whispered.  
"What _was _that?"  
"Oh, that. The reason I haven't come to school is because I got a really, _really _bad fever. I got lightheaded, had some hallucinations; it was really bad and it put me in a really bad mood. I'm sorry about getting upset with you the other day, by the way. It's just that Caroline told me some stuff to try and turn me against you. It didn't work though."  
"So you don't believe what she told you?" he asked.  
"Mr. Salvatore! Would you care to join your girlfriend after class as well?" Mr. Tanner yelled.  
Stefan shook his head and the teacher continued.  
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Elena scribble something on a torn piece of paper. She put it on his desk.  
As discreetly as possible, he opened it up, and in her neat handwriting, it said:  
_Meet me at my house after school. I need to talk  
_He turned to her then, waiting for her to look his way and when she finally did, he nodded.  
She shot him back a smile and turned away again.

* * *

"What did you need to talk about?" Stefan worriedly asked Elena when they arrived in her house.  
Elena went up to him and kissed him square on the mouth without replying. This was drastic. She usually never acted so rashly. She never-  
Oh.  
The thought went away as Elena poured her whole being into the kiss. She ran both her hands through his hair and he had to hold onto her to keep himself from falling as they melted into each other, getting closer and closer until they were connected at every curve and crevice.  
When she finally did pull away, they were both gasping for air.  
"What was that?" he asked as he panted heavily.  
"An apology," she said with a smile. "For how I acted the other day."  
He smirked. "Apology accepted."  
Her smile widened and her eyes grew brighter. "I love you," she whispered.  
His breathing stalled and had someone asked him, he could have said that his heart had skipped a beat in that very moment. "What?" he asked, needing clarification to make sure that he hadn't hallucinated her words.  
"You heard me right, Stefan. I love you. I always have. You know that."  
"Actually, I didn't," he responded doubtfully.  
She took a small moment of hesitation. "You do now. I love you."  
He looked at her with hope in his eyes. "I love you too, Elena."  
They kissed again.

As Elena clung to Stefan, the vampire girl thought to herself, _how did Elena even deserve him?_ Okay, she was pretty, but what else did she have to offer? Based on what she knew, Elena didn't seem that intriguing or even remotely interesting.  
Yet Stefan loved her.  
She rolled her eyes. She would never understand this vampire, Stefan Salvatore, that despite everything, she still held feelings for. It was wonderful when all his feelings had been turned towards her. It was pure bliss and a blast of euphoria to her mind and heart. But then he had met Elena and _poof_; his feelings shifted away from her and onto a measly human girl. Apparently immortality just didn't offer up what it once did.  
Elena would have to pay for her relationship.  
And the price of the debt would be an extremely high amount. That could be promised and ensured.

* * *

When Damon Salvatore fell asleep and entered his dream later that night, needless to say, he was surprised. Shocked, appalled and surprised.  
"Elena?" he asked the brunette that sat on the corner of his bed, staring at him intently with those big brown eyes of hers that looked so much like his old love's had.  
She smiled brightly at him. "Hello Damon," she replied.  
"What are you doing here? Are you looking for Stefan?"  
"I'm not here for Stefan, Damon. I'm here for you."  
All possible and coherent sentences blurred together in his mind, disappearing from view.  
Elena was here to see...him?  
She put her legs on the bed and moved until she was right next to him, setting a hand to his chest.  
"I know you want this, Damon. To be with me. Although you won't admit it, you and I both know you do. Don't let Stefan stop you. I can go between Salvatores just fine as long as you keep quiet about it. You just need to do one thing."  
His eyebrows were raised by then when he asked, "What to I need to do?"  
She grinned a devilish grin that reminded him a bit _too _much of Katherine. "Simple. As you can guess, this is a dream. All you have to do is kiss the real me. Kiss me and I'm yours."

He took in a deep breath as soon as he woke up; sitting up as if his pillow had electrocuted him.  
What was that?  
In the deepest corner of his mind, did he want to be with Elena.  
No, he couldn't! She was his brother's girlfriend. It seemed as if Stefan loved her too. Damon couldn't do this.  
No matter how much he wanted to.  
Did he though?  
Yes, he did.  
No.  
Yes.  
He didn't know. Yet, that dream had to come from some form of truth. It felt true.  
But he couldn't.  
Could he?  
_Why not? Stefan clearly saw that you had feelings for Katherine all those years ago. Yet still, he went after her. Pined for her. Won her. At the end of it all, Katherine chose him. The day she was killed, she chose your baby brother. And what did he do with that information? Nothing. He needed to be compelled to care for her after learning her secret for crying out loud. You accepted her for who and what she was and she still chose the brother that hadn't accepted her. How is it fair that he gets the original Katherine _and _her double? You deserve one of them to call your love, don't you? You deserve it just as much as he does. Since Katherine chose him, it's only fair that you get Elena now, isn't it? Take what you want. Take her. Make her love you more than she would ever love Stefan. Make her care more about you than she does him. Show no remorse and go after your brother's girlfriend. It's your turn now.  
After all, it's only fair.  
_Yes. That was what was fair after all. Stefan had Katherine, so Damon should have gotten Elena.  
And he was going to get her. He promised himself that.

Caroline had watched the day's events from afar, contemplating how each piece being brought out into the light would eventually fall into place with one another. Nevertheless, she knew that they would find their way together eventually. Maybe it would take a while, but eventually they would. With time, but for sure they would. There was absolutely no doubt about it.  
She stared wide eyed at the town. Mystic Falls, along with Elena's life, would be going to hell soon.  
Very soon.

Elena dreamed that night that she was floating in the middle of a great, vast ocean. Well, less floating and more flailing in an attempt to save herself from drowning the same way she should have during the accident. She felt as if a million bricks were weighing her down, trying to get her to the bottom of the ocean despite the fact that she felt as light as a feather. She cried out and yelled and screamed for help, but no one was around to hear her. She felt herself sinking and sinking-  
-Until she jolted awake.  
She sighed deeply and closed her eyes in defeat; trying like hell to force herself to close her eyes again and fall asleep.  
She failed terribly.

A dream that brought a dark desire into the light, a nightmare that showed a metaphor more realistic than Elena cared to admit to herself and two Salvatores that were completely clueless.  
What a good day to be undead.

**Not my best, I know. This chapter was way harder to write than I thought it would be. Hopefully next chapter will be more interesting.**


	10. Let The Right One In

**Hey guys! Sorry that it's been about a month or so since I've updated, but in my defense, school just started again and in August, I _did _upload a long one shot. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

"Hello, Elena," he said, stretching out the vowels of her name.  
She raised an eyebrow, not looking as surprised as he thought she would. "Damon Salvatore. To what do I owe the pleasure?"  
He shot her an 100 kilowatt grin. "I came to chit-chat with you, babe."  
Her brown eyes narrowed. "Don't call me that. Ever."  
His intrigue increased. This girl was a _much _different change of pace. With the exception of Katherine, she was the spunkiest girl he'd met. Much better than the girls he was used to.  
He put his hands up in mock defense. "Calm down, _babe_" he replied, adding extra emphasis on the final word to piss her off.  
She rolled her eyes. "Wanna skip to the point for me?"  
He smirked before saying, "You. Me. A date. Tonight."  
"A what?"  
"A date. An outing. A romantic appointment or engagement."  
"In case you've forgotten, I'm dating your brother."  
He shrugged it off. "I don't care. Maybe it makes you more appealing." He winked. "Care to know why?"  
"No, but I know that you're going to enlighten me with the answer anyways."  
"Bingo." Interesting girl. She didn't put up with his capital BS. "To put it in simple terms, I like you. I _want _you."  
He leaned on her doorframe and reached out to tilt her face towards his.  
Only to get stopped by an invisible barrier.  
He gave a small scoff. "Care to invite me in?"  
"Nah, not today. Play your cards right and maybe I'll extend you an invitation. Until then, bye Damon. She wiggled her fingers in a wave before shutting the door in his face.  
His eyes widened. He wanted this girl. A lot.  
And he would do whatever it took to get her.

* * *

"You okay?" Stefan asked her the next day at lunch.  
She nodded. "Yeah, I just have something on my mind." Elena sighed and Stefan set his hand over hers. She turned to him again. "You know what? Let's do something fun. It's a Friday night and Jenna's out of town. Let's have a party!"  
He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's the best idea? Caroline is still out there somewhere and we have no clue if she's going to go after you again..."  
"Lighten up, Stefan! I can't live my life in fear of your crazy, not as pretty as me vampire ex-girlfriend. Besides, there isn't a single thing that bleached blonde can do to hurt me."  
"What do you mean?" he asked, his brows furrowing together in confusion.  
"Nothing," she replied, quickly replacing her small frown with a wide grin. "Hang on a sec."  
Before he could realize what exactly was going on, Elena was standing on top of the lunch table with her hands cupped around her mouth as a makeshift megaphone.  
"Party at my house tonight! Everyone's invited! Tell your friends!"  
Cheers erupted from everyone there and soon, dozens of people were facing their cellphone screens.  
Elena got off the table and sat back down on the wooden bench.  
"What just happened?" he asked, feeling really confused.  
"Duh, I just invited everyone to my party. Including you."  
He looked at her doubtfully.  
"You _are _coming, right?"  
"I don't know, parties aren't really my thing."  
She punched his arm playfully. It kind of _hurt_, which was really weird considering she was a human and he, well, wasn't.  
"You're coming, whether you like it or not."  
He rubbed his aching arm and simply accepted defeat.

"Stefan! You came!" Elena said cheerily, taking his hand and tugging him inside. "Just in time to get all the drinks set up."  
He let her lead him into the kitchen where about a dozen cases of beer were laid out, waiting to be opened.  
"How did you get this much alcohol? You're seventeen."  
"I have my ways." She smiled devilishly.  
He shrugged it off and spent the next two hours helping her set up and after a half hour resting period, people began pouring in and soon enough, the house was packed; music blaring from the old speakers found in the Gilbert basement. Jeremy had come home to the surprise, but after getting an (incredibly strange and unusual) alcohol free pass, he quickly quieted down.  
Stefan felt incredibly out of place.

A surprised Elena opened up the door.  
"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked Damon.  
"I'm here for the party. Everyone is invited, right?"  
She gave an exasperated sigh. "Anything I can do to make you leave?"  
"Yup. You can step out of your nice protective house and kiss me." He smirked.  
"Seriously? That's all you want?"  
He nodded.  
She stood there thinking for a single moment before stepping outside, not even bothering to shut the door behind her. She grabbed his jacket and pulled him towards her.  
Then he was kissing Elena Gilbert.

Through all the bustle of the party, he hadn't noticed Elena's departure. He looked around for her and bumped his way through drunk jocks, raving teenagers and even had to awkwardly walk by two couples making out against the wall. Not a very pleasant sight.  
Just like how the sight of Elena outside making out with his brother wasn't very pleasant to see either.  
It hurt him to watch the sight of Elena outside, kissing his brother. Something ached in his chest and he felt a memory come up from too long ago; a memory of Katherine doing the exact same thing. But Katherine was one thing while Elena was another.  
Yet there she was, repeating the history of the Salvatore brothers. A history that she knew too.  
Finally, he made himself look away and for once, he willingly faced the havoc inside.

She pulled away from him, panting like a dog to catch her breath.  
"So, have I earned an invite in?" he asked Elena.  
She hesitated before shooting him a familiar smile. "Come back tomorrow, and I'll invite you in. Maybe we can have some fun while we're at it," she answered, whispering the last part in his ear before turning around and sauntering back inside.  
Damon smiled. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.

Stefan didn't bother waiting around; his mind too busy running through what he just saw. Eventually, he caught a glimpse of Elena back inside, but he chose to hide in the crowd before leaving the house.

* * *

_"Miss Katherine?" Damon asked the beautiful woman standing before him, completely speechless with her presence at his door in the late hour of night. Not to mention, she wasn't wearing much clothing to begin with; only a simple nightgown and a thin robe around her slim figure.  
"Hello Damon. I cannot deny that I have been waiting for this moment all day," she replied.  
His eyebrows shot up. "I beg your pardon?"  
"You see, I have been growing a bit bored lately. Truly, your father is a kind man and I fairly enjoy our games of croquet, but you see, he is much older than I. Your brother, Stefan, is the same age as I, but he talks and thinks like a much older man. All he wishes to discuss is books and music, and while that's all good, it simply isn't something of my taste. You, on the other hand, understand me in a way the others simply can't."  
She leaned in so close that he could feel her breath as she spoke. He backed away a few steps.  
"Thank you, miss Katherine, but this feels a bit...out of the ordinary."  
"Ever the gentleman. Though I must ask you to stop calling me 'miss Katherine.' It makes me sound as if I am a woman old enough to be your mother."  
"I apologize, mi-Katherine," he quickly mended. "Anything else I can do for you?"  
"I am so glad you asked."  
She pushed him inside his room and shut the door behind her. "As I mentioned before, I have been waiting for this all day," she explained before kissing him.  
Unsure of what to do, he simply kissed her back. But she seemed to have other plans in mind as she reached for the hem of his night shirt.  
They proceeded to do...things he didn't think a lady like her was capable of.  
Yet when all was said and done, she simply leaned in close and whispered, "You are much better than your brother."_

The memory only fueled his inner anger and jealousy over his brother; a fire within him that he hadn't fed in a century and half. After Katherine...left them, Damon never did dwell upon his memories of Katherine. The times she told him he was better than his brother in particular.  
How could she have said all those things, yet still choose Stefan? Stefan, who she had to compel and manipulate just so he could go near her. Stefan, who never gave her a second thought after her untimely death. That Stefan didn't deserve being Katherine's first choice. But he had been.  
And now Damon would make sure that he was Elena's.  
He went up her doorstep and knocked for the third time in only three days.  
She opened the door with a seductive grin on her face and a strange look in her eyes.  
"Hello Damon," she said in an oddly familiar way despite their limited interactions. "I've got to say, I have been waiting for this."  
The memory from before rose up again, only for him to quickly shove it down again.  
"So have I. Should we take it upstairs?"  
"Ease down there, Salvatore, you haven't even offered me a drink yet. Lucky for you, there's still some alcohol left from the party and _I _need to erase all evidence that said party ever happened. I could use your help."  
"Are you trying to get me drunk, Elena?"  
She scoffed. "No. But honestly, I'm _way _better drunk than I am sober."  
He grinned. "I like the sound of that."  
"Needless to say, I don't," said Stefan who had suddenly appeared behind Damon.  
Elena's eyes widened and a brief panic seemed to flash upon her face before she quickly regained her composure. Yet instead of being upset that Stefan had come to ruin their plans, Damon thought she looked more than pleased.  
"Stefan," she said. "How wonderful that you could join us. We can have some more fun now, together."  
"What's going on with you, Elena? You've been acting differently these last few days and now you're trying to hook up with my brother? Even after I told you what happened in 1864?" Stefan asked her, worry in his stare. He sighed and ran a hand through that godawful hero hair of his. "When I told you the truth, I didn't do it so that history would repeat itself."  
"Well it's not my fault I'm so damn good looking or that I have the best charm," Damon explained with a wink. "How long did you think it would have taken for her to crack. In case you haven't noticed, I'm _irresistible._"  
Stefan scoffed.  
"Truly Stefan, how long _did _you think it would take?" Elena inquired, earning surprised looks from both brothers. "After all, Katherine saw something in the both of you. It's only about time that I see it too. So come on in, Damon. Make yourself at home."  
Stefan's eyes widened. "What did you just say?"  
"I _said _that Damon is free to come inside this house, pop open a drink and make himself comfy," she responded.  
Damon faced his brother with a smug smile adorning his face and Stefan just stared at him in defeat.  
Elena shifted so that she was leaning against the door frame in order to make enough space to let Damon walk in.  
The eldest Salvatore let out a content sound.  
"See Stefan? I always win," he told his brother.  
Slowly and dramatically in what Stefan would call 'exact Damon fashion,' Damon lifted up a leg and made his way across the threshold into the house that Elena had _finally _invited him inside of.  
Only to get stopped by an invisible barrier in the doorway.

**Hmm, interesting...  
****Sidenote: Sorry about the Delena. Trust me, it wasn't the greatest pleasure to write it, but it had to be done.**


	11. Familiar Faces

**I know, I'm really bad at updating. It's just that I haven't really been in the mood to write anything lately and school has been stressing me out _immensely_. Sorry.**

Damon continued to attempt to force his way through the door to no avail. For some reason, he couldn't get his _damn foot _over the _damn threshold_. He turned to face Stefan, who looked just as confused as Damon felt. His brother's eyebrows furrowed and in return, Damon shrugged his shoulders.  
What the hell was going on?  
He faced Elena now, her eyes conveying a bit of panic.

Faster than Stefan could realize it, Elena had reached over to Damon and snapped his neck, quickly slamming him down onto the ground.  
Stefan looked at the girl he thought he knew with a questioning gaze.  
She looked straight at him and all of a sudden, she seemed completely different. The light he always loved to see in her brown eyes was gone, replaced by something cold and distant, her usually sweet looking face looked colder; more malicious even.  
He saw fury burning in her eyes.  
Ina single flash, the good he saw in her vanished, completely replaced by something that definitely wasn't her. Come to think of it, she had been different these last few days. He had seen something off about her, but he had simply pushed it to the back of his mind. But now, he realized it.  
This wasn't Elena.  
This girl standing before him couldn't be the same compassionate and kind Elena that he had fallen in love with. This girl was not the Elena that had listened to him, believed in him, maybe even cared for him.  
Then who was she?  
"Piecing everything together, Stefan?" 'Elena' asked. "You always were much smarter than Damon, there's no denying that." She watched him as he thought over everything she had said, everything she had done, over the last few days.  
She smirked in an all too familiar way. "Come on, Stefan. I know you can figure this out."  
That smile she had given him, the way she spoke now...  
He knew.  
"Katherine?" he asked, afraid of her answer.  
Her smile only grew wider. "See Stefan? I knew you could figure out."  
He backed away a few steps.  
"What? No hug? You thought I was dead for the last century and a half and you don't even give me a kiss when you find out I'm actually alive? I expected a _lot _more from a former lover." She stepped outside and crept closer to him. "Actually, you're not a former lover, because I still love you,." She winked.  
"I don't care how you feel _Katherine_," he replied, saying her name as if it were venom. "Where is she?"  
"Who?" Katherine responded. "Oh, you mean the human! What was her name? Elaine, Eleanor..."  
"Elena. Where is she?"  
"Good question! Truly though, I have no clue," she said with a shrug. "And before you think I'm kidding, I'm not."  
"What do you mean you don't know where she is?" Stefan asked frantically.  
"I sort of sold her off to an old friend of mine. Did you know that doppelgangers have surprisingly high asking prices? I was able to get three pairs of designer boots and I _still _have more money left over."  
He rushed towards her and slammed her against one of the walls in Elena's house, grabbing her by neck and pinning her against the cold wall.  
"I'll ask once more," he said angrily against clenched teeth. "Where is she?"  
She didn't hesitate to grab his wrist and slam him onto the ground. She straddled him with a hand locked around his throat just like his had been over hers.  
"Aw, you think you can overpower me, how adorable. I'm telling you the truth though. I _don't know _where your little Elena is. I handed her over to an old friend of mine and I haven't heard from either of them since."  
"What friend?"  
"You don't know her. Besides, she's most likely long gone from Virginia. Hell, maybe she's isn't even in the country anymore."  
Katherine let go of him and by the time he stood up, she was leaning against the wall.  
"Well then, it looks like you are going to help me find her," Stefan told her, disappointed that he had to sink to such a level.  
She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "Excuse me?"  
"You heard me. I'm sure that you know how this friend of yours thinks, and surely she took Elena for a reason. Who would know better than you?"  
"I won't deny that, but tell me Stefan, why the hell would I help you find your lost love?" she asked dubiously in return.  
He walked closer until he stood directly in front of her. "Because if you truly still care about me, you would want me to be happy."  
"Not with her though," she sad a tad sadly.  
He sighed. "What do you want from me? I'll do what you want if you don't screw me over."  
She looked up at him. "Anything?"  
"As long as it gets Elena back safe and sound."  
Her signature smirk appeared once more as she answered, "I'll help you bring Elena back to this quaint little town all safe and sound _without _screwing you over, on one condition."  
"Name it."  
Her voice lowered. "When all is said and done, you leave Mystic Falls with me without looking back. You don't leave me unless I say that you can. _That's _my condition."  
His eyes widened in disbelief. "What?"  
"You heard me. If you want her to be safe and sound _and stay _safe and sound, at least from me, then you'll take up my offer."  
"Why do you want me?"  
"Because..." she began, nearly sounding wistful, "I missed you. I want you back, Stefan, and if that means finding Elena then so be it."  
He looked at her closely then. "Katherine...you are unlike anyone else I have ever met. I even sometimes wondered what you would've been like if you survived, which as I finally see, you did. I got my answer though. I know now that you are still the same lying, selfish, manipulative girl that you always were."  
If there was any warmth hidden within her eyes, it was gone now, replaced by ice once more. "I assure you, Stefan. I mean this promise. If we get her back, no harm will come to her or her family, hell, not even her kids or grandchildren if you agree to leave with me."  
Before he could get another word in, he heard his brother begin to groan behind him. Stefan watched as Damon stood up, shaking his head as if he were still a bit dazed.  
"He comes with us," Stefan whispered quickly. "Just so I can be sure that you won't try and seduce me while he's around."  
"Fine," she responded, only to add in, "but just because he's there, doesn't mean that I won't try to seduce you. Or him. Or whoever my heart desires, because that's just who I am as you so elegantly put it."  
Stefan shot her a glare before making his way to his brother.  
"Are you alright?" he asked Damon.  
"Could be better, could be worse. Thank you so much foot your consideration, brother," Damon replied a tad groggily, yet still, sarcastically.  
Stefan rolled his eyes as Damon faced the girl he probably still assumed to be Elena. He began making his way towards her before he apparently remembered that he couldn't get inside. "Wait a minute...what the hell just happened? Why can't I get in?"  
"I have no idea, Damon," Katherine said, still pretending to be Elena; his good and innocent Elena. Only now did he realize how fake she sounded, how she sounded like an adult speaking to a child as she talked to Damon. "I completely thought it would work." She walked closer to him until she had her hand on his chest. "Guess we'll just have to go somewhere else then," she explained with a smirk.  
Damon smiled down at her as Stefan rolled his eyes. "Give it up, you aren't fooling anyone."  
Katherine laughed in a way that reminded him so much of 1864 that it hurt him just to think about it. She tossed her head back in a haughty manner and turned to face Stefan's glare.  
Sighing deeply and in a clearly annoyed way, she faced Damon once more and smiled devilishly. "Hello again, Damon. It's such a small pleasure to see you again."  
He raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"  
"Come on, Damon. I know you never truly got over me. Not that I blame you, I mean, look at me. I'm irresistible," she said. "And, I'm gorgeous." She looked at Stefan. "No wonder you fell for Elena. You must not have been over me after all if you fell for someone who looked _exactly like me _a century and a half later. That goes for the both of you."  
Damon, it looked like, had finally put together all the pieces. "Katherine?"  
She scoffed loudly. "Took you long enough."  
His brows furrowed together. "Does that mean that it was you this whole time?"  
"This whole time, no. This last week, hell yes. It was me yesterday pretending to be precious little Elena when you came over and offered your...services. It was me playing your mind, making you believe that she actually wanted you. I threw the party and I made out with you."

"So it was never Elena. She was never interested," Damon concluded.  
"Nope. Sorry." Katherine leaned in close to whisper, "but maybe in your _wildest dreams, _she will," and she gave a wink.  
Damon let out a sharp breath. "You gave me that dream."  
"Of course! It was the only way to get you where I needed you."  
"And where was that?"  
"You'll find out, when the time is right. However, Damon, dreams don't just materialize out of thin air. They're psychological, even when given by a vampire. Even if you didn't realize it until now, deep down, there _is _a part of you that wants to be with Elena; just as much as there's a part of you that still wants to be with me. Talk about history repeating itself. Look at you, once again, falling in love with your brother's girl, the one girl you can't have."  
Stefan cleared his throat behind her. "That's enough, Katherine."  
"Alright," she said playfully. "For now." She spun around and walked back inside.  
"Care to tell us how you were invited in?" Damon asked.  
"Nah, there isn't any exciting story. That interesting little brother of Elena's foolishly invited me in. Then again, I've done so well at pretending to be this little saint. But anyways, who cares about that. When do we leave?"  
Stefan shook his head. "I never agreed to anything."  
"Then why were you bargaining earlier? I think that you've had enough time to think about it."  
"You know what, Katherine? I don't _need _to go with you. I can go find Elena on my own."  
She burst laughing. "And you seriously think that you can pull that off? You said it yourself, I know how this friend of mine thinks. I know her thought patterns and the way she approaches things. Hell, you don't even know who she is! You _need _me, Stefan. If you don't accept, Elena is as good as dead."  
"Maybe she won't be."  
"Have you turned naive in the last century? Why in hell would she be alive for longer than necessary? What do you think they're doing with her? Keeping her around as a human blood bag? If she were any other ordinary human, then maybe, but she _isn't_. She's a doppelganger, meaning she's pretty precious in the magic department. If you want to find her alive, you need me."

Stefan went over what she said in his mind. It was true: Elena wouldn't outlive her purpose if she was with vampires, especially a vampire that was apparently one of Katherine's friends. As soon as they were finished with her, she'd be dead or tortured until death finally took her away. Plus, her being a newly discovered human doppelganger wouldn't help matters either. However, the price to pay was quite steep: his freedom for Elena's salvation and safety, their relationship for her life.  
It was a price he was willing to pay.  
"Deal," he said rather reluctantly. "We have a deal."  
She gave a grin that the Cheshire Cat would even be proud of. "I knew you'd come around. Pack your bags, Salvatores! We're going on a little field trip."  
"Excuse me?" Damon interjected. "Salvatores? With an s? Where the hell are we going, because in case you've forgotten, I was knocked out during your little talk."  
"The three of us are going on a journey to find Saint Elena. I'll meet you at your Boarding House tomorrow."  
"No way in hell am I going," Damon insisted.  
"We'll see about that," Katherine responded before sauntering out of the house.

* * *

"You're _actually_ going through with this?" Damon yelled.  
"If it means getting Elena back safely, then yes," Stefan answered as he packed his clothes.  
"And Katherine's helping you with this little mission? With nothing in return? Yeah, right. What does she want?"  
He considered lying to Damon. After all, he knew his brother still held Katherine quite dearly. But, he deserved to know the truth. "If we succeed...she wants me to leave Mystic Falls and," he continued hesitantly, "she wants me to go with her."  
The older Salvatore rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean go with her?"  
"Wherever she goes, I need to follow her unless she tells me to leave. I'll basically be her prisoner."  
Damon swallowed. "Just you?"  
Stefan knew it. He knew it would hurt Damon to know what Katherine's price was. Even after all this time, he still cared for her.  
"Just me."  
"And all this for some human girl from this tiny as hell town? Is she that worth it?"  
"She is. And if I had to spend eternity in my own personal hell if it meant saving her, I would do it in a heartbeat."  
Damon rolled his eyes. "How noble. Like always. Well, don't expect me to go with you."  
And with that, he left.

He woke up when he felt sharp nails trailing up and down his chest. Damon quickly switched on a lamp and found Katherine staring back at him, her hair back in the curls that he remembered.  
"Is this a dream?" he whispered.  
"Nope. This is all real," she replied. She leaned down until he could feel her hot breath on his neck, her fingers touching his chin. "Come with us, Damon. If you don't, then Stefan gets all the fun. I'm sure you don't want that."  
Before he could reply, she was pressing kisses against his neck and her teeth were grazing his skin. He let out a deep sigh of content. "You strike a hard bargain...but what about what you made Stefan promise? To leave with you? Why not me too?"  
"Because, Damon, I know that Stefan wouldn't follow me out of his own accord. But you, you're different. You would follow me. Hell, you probably will. Trust me when I say that I love the taste of a Salvatore. The only thing better than the taste of one is the taste of both, don't you think?"  
"What are you saying?"  
"What I'm saying is that you're free to follow me. I won't disappear on you again _if _you come with us."  
"Alright. I'll go."

* * *

After Damon had explained his sudden change of heart to Stefan, the two went downstairs and found Katherine seated in the lounge waiting for them, already with a wineglass in her hand despite it being only ten in the morning.  
"Ready?" she asked, standing up from her spot.  
They nodded, and the trio headed outside towards Katherine's car.  
"My car has more leg room, so we're taking that. I get wheel, of course, since I'm the only one who knows where we're going. So, open a door and hop on in."  
Stefan opened the door leading to the back seats in order to avoid being too close with Katherine. He put in his bags without really noticing and only when he had taken his seat did he see _her_.  
"What is she doing here?" Stefan demanded.  
"Well, if you get a plus one, I do too," Katherine simply explained. "I just happened to choose Vampire Barbie."  
Stefan turned around to face Caroline, who was looking back at him a bit worriedly.  
"Hey," she said in a surprisingly small voice as she gave an awkward wave.


End file.
